


Digimon Journey

by Kelette



Category: Digimon Adventure, Digimon Adventure Zero Two | Digimon Adventure 02
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-19
Updated: 2018-06-15
Packaged: 2019-05-09 01:22:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14706446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kelette/pseuds/Kelette
Summary: Takeru finds himself in the digital world without Patamon. Instead, he's joined by an unfamiliar digimon named Catamon and three other children: Davis, Yolei, and Cody, the new digidestined. They're hopeful that defeating the mysterious digimon emperor will send them back to their real home, but T.K. has his own concerns: Where's Patamon?This is a re-imagining of Digimon Adventure 02.





	1. Versus Kuwagamon

**Author's Note:**

> For the first set of digidestined I'm using their English names as nicknames, and the Japanese names as their real names. I watched the dub growing up so Yolei is Yolei and Cody is Cody.

Takeru’s eyes opened. The sky above him was strange and distantly familiar. “Is this... The digital world?”

“That’s right, that’s right!” A voice hopped up and down beside him. Takeru lifted his torso up by his elbows and stared down at the creature beside him.

“And I’m Mokomon, your digital partner!”

“No…” The word escaped Takeru’s mouth before he could stop it. His digital partner was Tokomon at this training level, who would become Patamon at rookie. The digimon beside him was not his partner.

Takeru leaned to one side so that he could reach up and rub his head, wondering if he had fallen on it. It had been years since he and the others first came to the digital world and it had been mostly closed off ever since. He had to be dreaming at the moment, a strange twisted nightmare where patamon had been taken away from him again.

There was something clutched tightly in his hand. Takeru raised the device to his face. It resembled his digivice that he kept on his person at all times, except it was twice the size and had an antenna. 

“It’s true! We’ve been waiting and waiting and now you’re finally here!” 

Takeru snapped his attention back to Mokomon, the bouncing little digimon. He reached out and touched the creature, and Mokomon stilled to let him. “This is real,” Takeru said.

“Of course it’s real!”

Takeru sighed, remembering the childlike logic of digital partners. “But this is wrong! I’m sorry Mokomon, but my digimon partner is Patamon.”

“Patamon? Who’s that?” Mokomon blinked his large eyes. “You don’t want me to be your digimon partner?” 

Takeru stiffened. Slowly he stood up, shaking his head. He wished he could remember how he had fallen to the digital world in the first place. 

His surroundings resembled File Island, except for a tall black tower that stood prominently some distance away. In the distance he could hear quiet shouts and voices of other people. Of course, Takeru wasn’t here by himself. He exhaled in relief. All he wanted to do was run to the others, but he wasn’t a little kid anymore. The digimon next to him probably was a baby and Takeru knew it wasn’t the digimon’s fault that something had gotten messed up. He could act with grace.

“Come on Mokomon. I don’t know what’s going on, but let’s try and answer those questions after we find the others.”

“Others?!”

“Yeah, can’t you hear them?”

“I can! I can! Let’s go find them!” Mokomon started to bounce off, but stopped, hopping back over to Takeru.

He crouched down. “Want me to carry you?”

Mokomon’s eyes lit up and a giant smile spread across his face. “Yes!”

Smiling slightly, Takeru scooped up the small digimon and carefully held him, all while his heart pinged for Patamon. 

If Takeru was in the digital world, why wasn’t Patamon here with him?

**

There had been other children all right, but not the ones Takeru had been hoping for. Instead of Taichi, Yamato, Sora, Mimi, Izzy, and Hikari; three unfamiliar kids stood before him, each with their own digimon standing beside them.

Takeru’s breath had started to speed up in mild panic. This was wrong, wasn’t it? Of course, there were other digidestined, but if there were new digidestined, then why was Takeru with the new group instead of safe at home with the old?

“Does anyone here know what’s going on?” asked the kid who called himself Davis. He resembled Taichi, and Takeru eyed him warily.

“We’re in the digital world, which is connected to our world. It’s probably in danger, and so we’ve been summoned here and united with digimon partners to save both worlds,” Takeru answered.

Davis turned to him annoyed. “Hey! What makes you think you’re so smart?”

The blue creature at his said jumped up and down in agreement. “Yeah! Yeah!”

“I don’t…” Takeru sighed as he was cut off again.

“I remember seeing creatures like these a few years ago during that terrorist attack! Then later when the internet was taken over by that big scary one…” Yolei mused as a pink bird who called itself Poromon fluttered near her shoulder.

Takeru blinked in surprise. “Oh, were you one of the people who sent email?” 

“Yeah, I was! Did you send an email too Takeru?”

Takeru startled at the comment. “No, I was fighting with patamon.”

“Who’s patamon?” asked Cody’s partner, a small yellow creature with wing-like ears.

“My digimon partner.”

“But your partner is Mokomon,” pointed out the pink bird.

“Yeah, your partner is Mokomon,” Davis agreed.

Takeru sighed again while Yolei leaned forward, staring at him.

“Do we have the time to be sitting around talking about this?” Cody asked, strangely serious for being the smallest of them all. “If we can’t get home tonight, we should try to find shelter.”

“Yeah, let’s find a shelter,” Davis agreed, and began sputtering about great shelter plans that wouldn’t actually happen, while Yolei and Cody tried to keep his thoughts on earth --or at least, the digital world.

Takeru reached into his pocket and pulled out his digivice. The digivice was just as dull as it had been on earth. He glanced at Mokomon, who seemed more invested in the other kids conversation. Mokomon claimed to be his partner, but Takeru’s digivice wasn’t connected to him.

A load roar interrupted Takeru’s thoughts and the other kids’ conversation.

“What was that?” Davis asked, jumping.

Takeru frowned. “It sounded like a Kuwagamon.”

“You’re right Takeru, that was Kuwagamon,” agreed Yolei’s digimon. “Kuwagamon is a virus type digimon, we wouldn’t want to cross paths with that.”

Takeru glanced back down at his old digivice and gripped his hand around it. ‘Patamon…’

“We should run!” Cody exclaimed, standing up in a panic. Yolei nodded her head in agreement.

“I’m not going to run away. Whatever that thing is, we can take it!” Davis said, standing his ground.

The other two glanced at Takeru, still looking like they wanted to run.

Takeru took a deep breath. He was the most experienced digidestined here (if that’s what they all were) and even if they didn’t believe him, he should still do his best to provide guidance.

“Davis, none of our digimon are strong enough to fight that thing in its current state,” Takeru began.

“What? Who would make these little guys fight? I can beat this bad digi all on my own.”

Takeru blinked. “You’d get yourself killed. Anyway, I don’t think we can run away fast enough to escape. We should stay and fight --our digimon have the ability to grow stronger when we need them to.” Takeru raised his hand and looked around the group. “Did everyone wake up with one of these?”

“That’s the D-3, right?” Cody said, holding up his own version of it.

“A D-3…” all of the four kids had one. It must be a new sort of digivice. If they were the digidestined, if they had a digivice, the power to digivolve was theirs. They could win.

“Yolei, Cody, you two can try and find a place to hide,” Takeru said, not wanting to force them into any unpleasant situations.

“You can hide too, Takeru,” Davis said crossing his arms.

“You still sure about that? Here it comes,” Takeru pointed into the sky as the flying virus digimon swooped down to attack them.

Davis stiffened with fear for just a moment, then he shook it off. “I can take him!”

Takeru stared. Davis really did resemble Tai. He glanced down at his digimon partner. “Do you want to fight with me, Mokomon?”

Mokomon nodded. “Of course! I’ll stay by you no matter what!”

The words made Takeru flinch. Mokomon was already so dedicated to him, but Takeru could only think of Patamon. He watched the other kids interact with their digimon. None of them were sure what to think about their new partnerships either. Takeru vaguely recalled that from his first adventure into the digital world. In fact, now that he thought about it, he couldn’t remember any of the digidestined taking to their digimon the way Takeru took to Tokomon.

All of the digimon proceeded to attack, even if their partners were less sure about fighting. As Takeru hoped, the digivices glowed as light fell from the sky, enveloping the in-training digimon.

Catamon, Veemon, Armadillomon, and Hawkmon stood in front of their human partners, ready to take down the enemy Kuwagamon.

**

The battle had gone better than Takeru’s first battle in the digital world. Instead of being chased off a cliff and dumped into the ocean, the new digidestined managed to stand their ground with Takeru shouting advice to everyone.

Exhausted from fighting, the four of them built a campfire and foraged for fooding. The three new kids seemed to be adjusting to their situation. 

Takeru stood apart from the new digidestined. His left hand held the new digivice, the D-3, and his right hand held the old. 

Mokomon’s rookie form, Catamon, poked the old digivice with his round nose. “What’s that?”

Takeru closed his eyes, covering the old digivice with his grip. “I don’t know.”

Catamon tilted his head. His new form resembled a large caterpillar. He had six appendages, four of which primarily acted as legs and the front two working as hands. His yellow belly and blue on white stripes reminded Takeru of Gabumon. 

Davis seemed to have bonded with Veemon during the battle, and the two chased each other around the campfire. Yolei and Cody laughed at the antics of their digimon.

Takeru stood, stretching his legs, and walked over to join them. “I have a question for the digimon. Do any of you guys know what those strange towers are?” Takeru pointed in the distance to the black tower that the couldn’t recognize.

“The Black Tower? It belongs to the Digimon Emperor,” Armadillomon explained.

Takeru’s pointed finger fell. “The what-now?”

Catamon inched over. “The Digimon Emperor is really mean! He captures digimon and they’re never seen from again.”

“What type of digimon is he?” Takeru asked.

None of the other digimon had an answer for him.

Takeru rubbed his chin. “I wonder if we were summoned here to defeat the digimon emperor…”

“Yeah, we can beat him!” Davis shouted. “Now that our digimon digivolved, no one can stop us.”

Takeru sighed, his eyes rolling up to the sky. “They’re only rookie level, a lot of other digimon can stop us. You need to learn how to digivolve to champion at the very least.”

Armadillomon nodded in agreement, cutting off Davis’ protests. “If we want to defeat the digimon emperor, we have to defeat his Generals first. They’re all champion level.”

“Who are the generals?” Takeru asked.

“There are six in total: Greymon, Garurumon, Togomon, Birdramon, Kabuterimon, and Ikkakumon.”

Takeru’s hands dropped. “What?”

Yolei nodded along. “All right, so we beat the generals, and then we take out the digimon emperor… and then we can go home?”

Takeru’s head shook, but no one paid any attention to him.

“Well, I don’t know how you guys can go home….”

“You’re welcome to stay here in the digital world and live with us!”

“No, I mean, the digital world seems like a nice place, but I really want to go home!” Yolei said.

“Our parents are probably worried about us,” Cody said.

“Stop!” Takeru shouted. The others stared at him, but he ignored them. “What about Angemon? Or Gatomon? Do those names mean anything to you?”

Armadillomon shook his head.

Takeru’s entire body trembled. Those names couldn’t be a coincidence. Why were the other digidestined’s digimon serving as general to the digimon emperor? Where was Angemon?

“Freaking out, Takeru? You can still find a place to hide if you like,” Davis taunted, puffing out his chest.

Takeru closed his eyes. He suddenly understood with sharp clarity why his brother kept picking fights with Tai. “I’m fine,” he answered, his voice level. “And there’s no way I’m hiding --not now that I know where the others’ digimon are.”


	2. Versus Ikkakumon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Digimon Emperor has a surprising ally(?) and Takeru struggles to be a good partner to Catamon.

Hikari sat over the ledge, swinging her legs up and down. The cat-like Gatomon was curled up on her lap, purring while Hikari gently trailed fingers over her white fur. Hikari leaned forward, her forehead pressed against the railing. Pushing herself over the edge was a tempting contemplation, though Hikari knew it wouldn’t work. Behind her, the self-proclaimed Digimon Emperor laughed.

Hikari sighed. “He’s at it again, Gatomon. I think his laughter’s getting worse.”

“If he’s not coughing up hairballs it's not bad enough to worry about.”

At the Emperor’s approaching footsteps, Hikari straightened away from the railing. Gatoman tensed too, ready to pounce if need be.

“What is it now, Ken?”

“Was this your doing?” Ken asked.

“Was what my doing?”

“The digimon are whispering about the arrival of a new group of digidestined.”

“A new group?” Hikari echoed. “Not Tai?”

“I don’t know who that is, but the scouts say that each of the digidestined has a different digimon than the original group.”

“The last group or the original group?” Hikari asked.

The digimon emperor scowled. “Why do you have to be so difficult? So this isn’t your doing?”

“How would I summon digidestined? I’m a little… held up at the moment,” Hikari raised her right arm, dangling the wrist bound in a black band. Her digivice had been encrusted in the band. At the very least, she was never without it.

Staring at the digivice, an idea entered Hikari’s mind. “Why don’t I digivolve Gomamon for you?” Gatomon’s stare pressed against her. “We can send him after the new digidestined.”

“Very well, let’s prepare Ikakumon.” The Digimon Emperor asked. His eyes were masked by the goggles he wore.

Obediently, Hikari stood up and followed Ken across his warped throne room. If Hikari looked beyond the edge she could see some of the land he had claimed as his empire, digimon pressed into service scurrying back and forth, trying to appease his wishes.

They stepped out of the throne and down a spiral staircase. Hikari stopped to look into the first level they passed.

Ken kept his laboratory close to the throne room. At the moment he only had one science project going on right now: the entire lab was focused on the object at display in the center. A tiny square, held up by mysterious forces and rotating. An artificial crest.

The physical crests of the eight digidestined had been destroyed in the battle with Apocalymon. Hikari wondered what the Digimon Emperor was using for reference. 

“Let’s hurry it up,” the Digimon Emperor commanded.

“Hikari,” Gatomon whispered.

“Right,” Hikari turned away from the lab and skipped down the stairs in order to catch up, Gatomon right behind her.

They came out into a hexagonal room with six doors. Kept behind each door was the digimon partner of one of the digidestined. 

The Digimon Emperor strode confidently to the door on the immediate left. Hikari followed, knowing that this was the room that kept Gomamon.

“Digivolve him. I can’t have anyone or anything getting in my way.”

Hikari sighed. “I’m sorry Gomamon,” she said. Gomamon’s eyes were closed as he rested his chin on his paws. He looked like he was sleeping. Maybe he was. If so, Hikari hoped he was having pleasant dreams. Gentle Gomamon didn’t deserve anything less than that.

Hikari held her right hand, her digivice attached securely to the black band. Her eyes closed briefly as she touched on the power inside Gomamon.

Gomamon digivolved into Ikkakumon, regaining consciousness as the digivolution took place.

“Good work,” Ken said. “Ikkakumon, I command you to go after the digidestined!”

Ikkakumon roared in response. Hikari hadn’t heard any of the captured digimon use human speech. 

Beside her, Gatomon watched quietly. The cat digimon had avoided the black band by offering obedience in exchange for Hikari’s safety. Hikari disproved of Gatomon’s choice --she wished Gatomon would run away somewhere she couldn’t be used but could help stop Ken. Gatomon refused to listen --the digimon had years of experience serving dark masters. She wasn’t all that bothered by serving Ken.

Wormmon was the only other digimon that served Ken without a black band. Hikari suspected he was Ken’s true partner digimon, but Ken didn’t care for Wormmon at all.

**

Takeru snapped at Catamon, even though he knew that Catamon had done nothing to deserve it. 

Afterwards, Takeru couldn’t even remember what precisely had caused him to snap at his young digimon partner. He could even feel the disapproving stares of his new teammates and the guilt pressing against his heart.

He excused himself and left to find out where his hurt digimon had run off to.

“This isn’t like me,” he muttered to himself as walked through unfamiliar jungle. The colors in the digital world always had an otherworldly tint to them. “Catamon! I’m sorry! Will you come back?” Takeru’s arms fell to his sides. “Please.”

It hadn’t been Catamon’s fault. Takeru still missed Patamon and lashed out because of those feelings. Catamon didn’t understand --no one understood --that Takeru was missing the one he knew was his digital partner. But that was unfair to Catamon.

Takeru found himself reaching for Patamon’s digivice again. “Catamon!” he shouted.

There was a familiar roar in response. Takeru froze, a chill traveling down his nerves. He knew that roar in a friendlier context, but now it sounded anything but. “Ikkakumon?” Takeru wondered out loud, and then he heard a smaller voice scream. “Catamon!”

Takeru ran towards the roar and the scream, bursting into the clearing where Ikkakumon towered over a fallen Catamon.

“Ikkakumon, stop!” Takeru shouted at the significantly larger digimon. 

Ikkakumon turned, a black band collaring his neck. His eyes burned without any recognition.

“It’s me, Takeru! --T.K.!” Takeru shouted, even trying the nickname his friends had used sometimes when he was younger.

Ikkakumon lowered his head, his horn pointed at Takeru.

“Takeru, move!” The tiny, bruised body of Catamon pushed Takeru out of the way just as Ikkakumon launched the horn to pierce the spot where Takeru had stood. Catamon collapsed on Takeru. 

“Catamon, are you okay?” Takeru asked, picking up the smaller digimon. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have yelled at you earlier.”

“I’m okay as long as you are,” Catamon told Takeru weakly.

Takeru clutched Catamon close. Where was Patamon at a time like this? He needed Patamon to digivolve to Angemon, and to stop Ikkakumon from attacking them. Takeru could feel the energy welling up to digivolve his digimon partner. A thought flashed through his head and he grabbed Catamon’s digivice. Ikkakumon lumbered towards them.

“Catamon, digivolve!” Takeru shouted.

Catamon’s body began to glow. He leapt forward, expanding as he flew through the air. “Catamon digivolve to…!”

Ikkakumon lowered his head, blasting another harpoon torpedo.

“Metamon! Spiral Shield!” A defensive cover shot out of Metamon’s hands, spiraling out until it formed a large circle. The torpedo crashed against the shield which stood against the subsequent explosion.

“Perfect timing,” Takeru told Metamon.

“This is one of the Digimon Emperor’s Generals, is it not?” asked Metamon. His newly formal language reminded Takeru of Patamon’s personality adjustment when he digivolved to Angemon.

“I think so, but try not to hurt him too much. I don’t think he’s completely himself,” Takeru instructed. 

“Understood,” Metamon said. Wings broke off from his back and he flew into the air. Takeru scratched his head as he watched his transforming digimon. He didn’t have any data on Metamon.

Metamon dodged Ikkakumon’s attacks until he got behind the giant digimon and launched a final attack at him.

Ikkakumon groaned and fell into an unconscious heap.

“Good work Metamon!” Takeru shouted. He jumped over debris as he ran to Ikkakumon. “That black band looks suspicious to me, do you think you could destroy it?”

There was a screech in the air. Birdramon zoomed down and caught Ikkakumon in her claws.

“Birdramon, wait, it’s me, Takeru!”

Birdramon screeched again and flapped her wings, lifting Ikkakumon and flying off again. A black band circled her leg.

“Birdramon…” 

“Sorry Takeru,” Metamon apologize. His entire body was glowing as he shrank. “I’d go after them for you, but I’m too hungry.”

Takeru reached his arms out for the digimon. “It’s okay Catamon, you did a great job today.”

“He-ey! What happened?” Davis shouted. He and the other two digidestined ran towards Takeru. “We heard a lot of shouting and saw a big bird heading this way.”

“It looks like the Digimon Emperor knows we’re here,” Takeru said. He hugged Catamon close to his chest. Just because he wasn’t Patamon didn’t mean that he was worthy of Takeru’s care. Especially if the Digimon Emperor was targeting them, especially if Takeru needed help finding Patamon. He would take care of his new digimon too.


	3. Versus Togomon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The digidestined stumble across a factory familiar to Takeru.

By the time Birdramon made it back to the Digimon Emperor’s headquarters, Ikkakumon had returned to being Gomamon.

“Poor Gomamon,” Hikari murmured as Birdramon dropped the digimon onto the floor. 

“What happened?” Ken asked, marching up to the large bird digimon. “Why didn’t Ikkakumon win?”

Wormmon hopped away from Birdramon’s necking, landing with a large thud. “I’m sorry, master. The digidestined’s digimon digivolved. Ikkakumon was no match for Metamon.”

“That worthless--” 

“Wormmon,” Hikari said, cutting through the Digimon Emperor’s complaints. “Why don’t you describe the digidestined for us?”

Wormmon crawled away from Birdramon, who collapsed in a flash of light into Biyomon. “Ikkakumon caught Catamon separated from the other digimon and attacked. His human partner, a boy named Takeru, came running to find him and Catamon digivolved into Metamon.”

As Wormmon continued with his description of the fight, Hikari schooled her expression into one of calm interest. Luckily, despite his complaints Ken was focused on his digimon’s description, he hadn’t noticed Hikari’s surprise.

Gatomon crept over to Hikari. “Takeru?” the cat-like digimon hissed.

“I heard, Gatomon. Don’t reveal anything to Ken just yet,” Hikari murmured as quietly as she could.

“Hey, what are you two talking about?” Ken asked, spinning around to face them. Hikari flinched.

“We were wondering if Wormmon saw any of the other digidestined aside from just the one,” Gatomon lied easily.

Hikari straightened, wondering if it could be possible that it wasn’t just Takeru. Maybe Tai and Yamato and Sora and Izzy had also come to the digital world… Obviously it couldn’t be Joe and Mimi. But there were only three other digidestined, so Hikari wouldn’t get her hopes up.

“They came running over to Takeru as we escaped,” Wormmon explained. “They looked like they were his age or younger, two boys and a girl.”

Hikari sighed. If they were Takeru’s age then her brother couldn’t be one of them.

“I won’t stand for this. We need to squash the digidestined before any more of them learn how to digivolve.”

“Gomamon and Biyomon need a period of rest before they can digivolve again,” Hikari said. 

Ken swung around, flipping out his arm so that his cape floated out behind him. “That’s fine, we have other options.”

**

“That tower looked so close when we first started walking towards it,” Davis complained. 

“Shut up, Davis,” Takeru said.

After getting attacked by Ikkakumon, Cody suggested visiting one of the Dark Towers. “We know they belong to the Digimon Emperor, but does anybody know what they do?” His question was met with silence.

“Let’s go examine one to find out!” Yolei suggested.

And so the group began their long march to the nearest tower. As they walked, Takeru felt dizzy with familiarity. He couldn’t quite place the scenery in his mind, but he knew he had been there before.

Then they closed in on a large building that blocked the foot of the tower that Takeru would never forget.

“Andromon’s Factory,” Takeru whispered.

Even though it was a sunny day, the light had nothing to fall on but gravel, the gray factory, and the dark tower. Even the blue sky seemed grayed out so that despite the sunny weather, the atmosphere was dark and grim.

Yolei dropped to her feet, covering her head. “Everybody, hide!”

“Huh?” Takeru and Davis stood tall and still as Cody and all four digimon cowered with Yolei behind a large rock.

“Hurry!”

“Whoa, look at the digimon,” Davis said, pointing.

Takeru lowered his gaze from the tower and the top of the factory to the ground. Digimon marched in orderly lines, carrying items and pushing piles of dirt around. That added the splash of color that the scene needed, but the lack of joy in the pokemon’s behavior painted the scene even darker in Takeru’s mind. Even villainous digimon had always seemed to burst with energy. “What are they doing?”

“Do you guys want to get caught?” Cody asked.

Belatedly, Takeru and Davis looked at each other and realized what the problem was, they ducked.

“Thanks for finally joining us,” Yolei told them. Her back was pressed against the rock and her arms were crossed.

“Were they all wearing black bands?” Takeru asked. 

“It’s the latest fashion,” Armadillomon explained.

“Sure it is.” Takeru glanced at the digimon, still not sure enough of his personality to tell if he was joking or serious. Armadillomon grinned, which did nothing to help Takeru’s assessment.

Yolei peered around the rock, studying the production. “It looks like we’ll have to sneak around the factory to get to the Dark Tower.”

“I’m not sure we can,” Hawkmon piped up. “The place is swarming with workers.”

“Think we can blend into the crowd?” Cody asked.

**

The digimon worked silently, mindlessly focused on their tasks. 

“This is kind of creepy,” Yolei muttered as the group walked in single file and joined the lines of digimon with black bands.

“It’s like they don’t even notice us,” Cody observed.

The black bands had the same color as the dark gears that haunted the digital world during Takeru’s first arrival. They also had the same color as the Dark Tower. 

“Whatever that Dark Tower is, it can’t be up to any good,” Takeru said as they approached the based. They group moved much slower than they wanted to, in order to avoid attracting attention. 

“It’s a sign that the Digimon Emperor controls this area,” Armadillomon explained conversationally. 

“Control, huh?” Takeru had already developed the theory during Ikkakumon’s attack, that the dark bands were controlling the digimon. “I wonder if it sends the signal to the black bands that the digimon are wearing.”

“We should just bust it to rubble,” Davis said, making a fist.

Takeru looked over at Davis. “Good idea.”

“What?” Yolei turned around to glare at Takeru. “Are you crazy?”

“If we destroy the tower, then we can watch to see what changes. That would give us a pretty good idea of what’s going on,” Takeru said.

“I’m up to it if Takeru is!” Catamon shouted, hopping so close to Takeru that he landed on Takeru’s foot.

Takeru grabbed his D-3 and held it out to the group. “Catamon can digivolve into Metamon and attack the base. That should direct the attention our way. In the meantime, you guys can run to somewhere safe.”

“Shouldn’t we see what’s happening in the factory first?” Cody asked.

Takeru glanced back at the factory, hesitating. Under Andromon’s control, the factory hadn’t seemed to do anything. It just existed because. It was true that the Digimon Emperor probably took the factory and was using it for more nefarious purposes… there hadn’t been so many workers the last Takeru was here.

“Who cares about the factory?” Davis asked. “Once the tower is gone we can look around the factory as much as we want. Also, I’m not running.”

“What?”

“I’m going to stay here and fight.”

Takeru took a deep breath. “If Veemon can’t digivolve then you’ll be in danger.” A wisp of memory crossed Takeru’s mind. Danger is what inspired the digimon to digivolve in the first place. He shook the thought off. It wasn’t worth actively putting the others in danger hoping for a digivolution.

“Then Veemon will digivolve, right buddy?” Davis asked, turning to glance at his blue digimon.

The digimon jumped into the air. “Yeah!”

“Well with that attitude, I suppose it’s possible. Just… be careful?” Takeru asked, knowing as he said the words that Davis did not have a well developed sense of danger. 

Davis was already holding his D-3 out to his partner as Veemon screwed his eyes shut in concentration. 

Takeru sighed. “Ready Catamon?”

“Y-yes!” Catamon said, just a hint of nervousness in his voice.

Takeru smiled encouragingly. “You can do it.”

“Right. Catamon digivolve to…!” Catamon shouted and began to glow, expanding in the light that he projected. “Metamon!”

“Let’s destroy that tower!” Takeru shouted. Metamon charged forward on his command.

Yolei and Cody began to run to back to their hiding place, their digimon following after them.

Another digimon roared and a spray of needles splashed across the ground. Takeru and Davis shouted as they dodged the attack.

“What was that?” Davis asked.

“Togomon!” Takeru answered. “Metamon, behind the Factory!”

Perhaps they should have explored the factory more fully. Togomon jumped out from behind it, marching forward like the champion battler they were.

“Hey Takeru, I think the other digimon finally noticed that we’re here,” Davis said.

Sure enough, the digimon that had been mindlessly toiling for the factory had suddenly turned their sights on the digidestined and were determinedly striding forward.

“That’s a lot of enemies,” Takeru said, now wondering if trying to destroy the tower had been a completely rash decision. “Hey Davis, if Veemon can digivolve now would be a good time to figure it out.”

“Veemon!” Davis shouted.

“-digivolve to-!” Veemon continued to shout. Light burst out from Veemon in unision with Davis’ D-3. “ExVeemon!”

“Awesome!” Davis shouted, jumping up and down to stare at his partner who now towered over him.

“Great work! Think you can handle Togomon?” Takeru asked. Metamon had diverted his focus from the tower cactus to focus on the hordes of digimon charging towards them. 

“You bet we can!” Davis answered. “Let’s go ExVeemon!”

ExVeemon leaped forward to confront Togomon before she could send out another needle spray. Despite the size difference, muscle to muscle they were practically evenly matched.

Metamon blasted digimon after digimon away, but there was always another to take their place.

At least Yolei and Cody had made it to safety.

“Vee Laser!” ExVeemon shouted, landing a direct hit on Togomon. Togomon roared and stumbled back into the tower.

“See if you can aim for the tower,” Takeru suggested, with a different and even more familiar war filled the area.

“Ah, T.K., there’s a giant dinosaur coming at us.”

“Greymon,” Takeru muttered. Only riding atop of Greymon’s skull was a person their age in a dark blue cloak. “Who is that?” His hair was spiky, but still not spiky enough to be Tai.

“So, you’re the digidestined,” the boy said as he approached. 

Metamon was still batting smaller digimon away, and ExVeemon looked worn down from his fight with Togomon. Takeru didn’t think they had the energy to take on Greymon.

“Don’t I know you from somewhere?” Davis wondered aloud.

“Davis,” Takeru said quietly, walking closer to the other digidestined. “I think we need to get out of here.”

“I do know you!” Davis shouted, ignoring Takeru’s advice. “You’re my rival, Ken Ichijouji!”

“Rival?” Takeru asked.

“There isn’t anyone in either of these two worlds good enough to be my rival,” Ken through back arrogantly. “Besides, I’m not Ken Ichijouji here. I’m the Digimon Emperor.”

“The Digimon Emperor is a kid like us?” Takeru wondered allowed.

Without warning, Greymon reared back and let out a fiery blast at ExVeemon. The digimon was blown back, shrinking into his rookie form.

“We need to get out of here,” Takeru said. Davis darted forward to scoop Veemon into his arms. “Metamon, carry us away!”

Immediately Metamon spun around, unfurling his wings, and flying at full speed. He scooped up Davis first, who was closer, and Takeru second, flying them past the rock. Up ahead, Takeru could see that Yolei and Cody had already started to evacuate the factory’s territory.

Takeru glanced back as Metamon flew. The tower stood untouched and the Digimon Emperor stood on Greymon’s head, towering over the scenery. It left a bitter taste in his mouth to think that they couldn’t even destroy one Dark Tower. 

“I’ll beat him next time!” Davis shouted into the wind, apparently struck by a similar thought.


	4. Versus Birdramon

When Takeru disappeared, Tai had felt relieved. His evident lack of concern inspired Yamato to punch him.

“Cut it out you two,” Sora shouted as they pummeled each other. “We’re in junior high now, at least act like it.”

Tai and Yamato separated, breathing heavily. “It’s not a joke, Tai. T.K.’s nowhere to be found!”

“Oh, and you’re telling me you know where Kari is?” Tai shouted back.

Sora sighed and turned away from them. “Well, Izzy? Do you think they’re in the digital world?”

“It’s possible,” Izzy said. His fingers clackeded against the laptop he brought with him everywhere. “I still think it’s strange that they went missing separately.”

“Did T.K. know that Kari disappeared? Maybe he went to find her,” Sora suggested.

“Without saying anything to us first?” Yamato asked. “I don’t think he knew. He was on a school field trip when Hikari disappeared and I was careful not to mention it to him. I didn’t want him to worry.”

Izzy pushed himself away from his screen, causing the other three to go silent. Like it or not, they were dependant on Izzy’s ability to glean information about the digital world. Tai wondered if he could find Kari on his own if he learned how to program.

“It’s no good, something’s interfering. I can’t get through to Gennai --or anything to the digital world.”

“That’s strange, right? Maybe something is happening,” Tai said, trying to hold onto whatever hope was available.

“Well, there was something of note…” Izzy said, tapping a few keys. The faces of four children appeared on his screen. “Three other kids went missing with Takeru and there was a global disturbance about the time they went missing. These four could have been summoned to the digital world together.”

“Then why weren’t we summoned?” Yamato asked the same time Tai asked, “But what about Kari?”

Izzy shook his head. “We don’t have nearly enough information right now. I’m going to keep searching. In the meantime, Yamato, you should go around and talk to the missing kids families.”

“What? Why me?” Yamato asked. “I’d rather look for T.K.”

“Tai and Sora can look for Hikari and Takeru at the same time. Since your brother is the one missing with them, it’d make more sense for your to go around asking questions.”

Yamato nodded. “Fine, I’ll do it.”

Tai clenched his fist and nodded his agreement as well. He hoped Kari --and T.K. --were safe together in the digital world. 

**

“This desert is too hot,” Davis complained, again.

Takeru grit his teeth. “Just keep going. There’s a yokomon village in this direction.”

“Sure there is, Mr. Know-It-All.” Davis crossed his eyes and pointed at himself. “Look at me, I’m Takeru, I know everything.”

Veemon laughed and hopped around Davis’ feet.

“Takeru does know everything!” Catamon declared, hopping on feet that made him seem more rabbit like. “Just like he knows how to get through the desert.”

“Enough!” Yolei shouted, her voice carrying across the sand in every possible direction. “It’s too hot for all of this fighting!” She stopped, gasping for breath and wiping sweat from her brow.

“I’m just saying, why are we listening to him?” Davis said, pointing his thumb at Takeru.

Cody glanced back. Even though he was the smallest he was handling the weather the best of three. “We put it to a vote, remember Davis? You lost three to one.”

Davis crossed his arms and grumbled. 

“Hey, I think I see it! Is that the village?” Armadillomon asked.

Takeru followed his finger across the desert, the small huts popping up against the otherwise flat landscape. His expression brightened. “That’s them!”

“What are you waiting for? Let’s go, Veemon!” Davis shouted, running straight ahead.

“Aaaand now he suddenly has the energy to run,” Yolei grumbled. She pulled her glasses off of her face to rub her eyes. 

“Oh, he had that energy the entire time. He was just using it to complain instead,” Hawkmon said. 

**

“Wow, this village is a lot smaller than I thought it would be,” Yolei commented. 

Dozens of Yokomon hopped around, welcoming their guests to the village. Davis and Cody’s words of wonder were drowned out by the cacophony of excited little voices.

The village of Yokomon was smaller than Takeru remembered. “It’s been a while,” Takeru said loudly.

“Have we met before?” one of the Yokomon asked.

“This isn’t the first time we had human visitors,” another Yokomon chimed it. “But I don’t think you were there.”

“I was! My friends called me T.K. back then,” Takeru said, hoping that the Yokomon would remember him. 

“T.K.? Weren’t you much smaller before?”

“Did you digivolve?”

“If you’re T.K., then where is Patamon?”

“How are Sora and Biyomon doing?”

“Takeru!” Catamon shouted, his voice crashing over the chorus of Yokomon. “Look!”

Takeru glanced up. Catamon pointed in the direction of the water that fed into the Yokomon’s well, but something black pointed out of the water. “A Dark Tower? Yokomon, what is that doing there?”

The Yokomon quieted and huddled together. Takeru glanced back at the group. The other digidestined had tensed, Davis had already pulled out his digivice and was holding it in front of him like he could ward off attack.

“Meramon came back, not too long ago,” one of the Yokomon explained. “He took away our water again, and then a bunch of scary digimon came and built a tower there. They all left and the water came back.”

“They left you without bands,” Takeru mused as he stared at the Yokomon. Was it because they were too small to be much use for anything?

“Hold on second! Are we going to get attacked again if we stay here?” Yolei asked.

“I don’t know,” Takeru answered. “We should see if we can destroy this tower though.”

“Again? What’s with you and destroying towers?” Yolei asked.

“Err…” Takeru wasn’t sure how to answer that. “They aren’t supposed to be here, right? They’re a symbol of the oppression of the Digimon Emperor…” Who was just a kid like them. 

“Takeru, I’m too hungry to digivolve again,” Catamon said, tugging on Takeru’s pant leg. The other digimon huddled in similar heaps of exhaustion.

“We can feed you!” A yokomon exclaimed.

“Yeah, why don’t you eat first, and then we can go look at the dark tower?”

**

“All right, let’s destroy this thing!” Davis shouted as they stood at the edge of the water.

“Should I be encouraged that Davis at least agrees with me?” Takeru asked. “Because it’s actually causing me doubt about all of this.” Catamon laughed.

“Let’s digivolve Veemon!”

“Right!”

Digidestined and digimon stood facing each other, D-3 held out between them. “Um…”

“Nothing’s happening,” Yolei said.

Davis held his D-3 up to his face and started poking at it. “That’s weird. It worked before!”

Digivolution had been difficult the first Takeru had come the digital world, and it had taken him and Patamon longer than everyone else to digivolve to champion and then ultimate level. Now that he thought about it, Catamon could digivolve to Metamon with ease he was used to seeing from the older kids. 

“I wonder…” Takeru held his D-3 out to Catamon. “Ready to digivolve?”

“Yes!” Catamon lit up almost immediately.

As Catamon digivolved to Metamon, Takeru wondered if the ability to digivolve actually depended on the human partner more than the digimon. Takeru was already familiar with the process, allowing Catamon to digivolve with ease.

Metamon lifted into the air but an opposing screech echoed across the sky. Metamon had to swerve quickly to dodge attacking flames.

“It’s Birdramon!” one of the yokomon shouted.

“But why is she attacking us?”

“Birdramon’s not in her right mind right now,” Takeru explained. 

Metamon moved away from the Dark Tower, flying towards the attacking champion.

“I think Metamon can handle it. Someone else needs to digivolve and destroy that Dark Tower!”

Everyone glanced at Davis, who was still arguing with his inanimate digivice.

“Anyone?” Takeru asked.

“Digivolving…” Yolei held up her digivice. “That reminds me… you make it look really easy Takeru…”

“Huh?”

Yolei looked at Hawkmon. “Want to give it a go?”

“Of course,” Hawkmon agreed promptly.

“Right, let’s destroy the Dark Tower in appreciation for the meal that the Yokomon gave us!”

Hawkmon flew into the air and circled the Dark Tower. Birdramon darted past Metamon to attack Hawkmon.

“Hawkmon, look out!”

“Hawkmon digivolve to… Aquilamon!”

Aquilamon flew against Birdramon, pushing her back. 

“There’s an opening for the Dark Tower,” Yolei shouted. “Get it, Metamon!”

Metamon dived, shooting deep under water. After a moment the Dark Tower began to shake. Cracks crawled up the black material, then it shattered into pieces, sinking to the bottom of the aquifer. 

As the Dark Tower crumbled, Birdramon screeched as though she had been hurt. She made a U-Turn in the air and soared away from the Yokomon village.

“Birdramon couldn’t stay and fight us once the Dark Tower was destroyed,” Cody observed.

“It looks like the Digimon Emperor needs the Dark Towers to control digimon after all,” Armadillomon said.

“Come on, Veemon, digivolve!” Davis said.

“I’m trying, Davis!” Veemon said.

**

“You were the youngest one, right Takeru?” Yolei asked as she stared at the unique dinner that the yokomon had offered them.

“What?” Takeru asked after swallowing his food. He and Davis were the only two humans to dig right in, Yolei and Cody had their reservations. As he remembered, the yokomon meal tasted better than broccoli, and Takeru liked broccoli these days.

“When Diaboromon attacked the internet, you were the youngest of the kids fighting him off.”

Takeru’s eyes widened. “You remember that?”

Yolei nodded proudly. “I sort of forgot about you and the kid with the bug digimon, I could only remember the other two.”

“Tai and Matt,” Takeru said, using their nicknames. His appetite faded as he stared at his meal. “Yeah, that was me, fighting with… Patamon…” His gaze turned to Catamon, who laughed with the Yokomon.

“Where is Patamon, then?” Yolei asked.

Takeru shook his head. “I don’t know, but I’m worried about him.”

“Even if you worried about another, that’s no excuse to neglect the friends currently in front of you,” Hawkmon said. He waddled over to sit next to Yolei. Yolei whispered an admonishment to him.

Takeru smiled, even though he wanted to flinch. “Are you wiser, now that you’ve digivolved?”

“I’d like to think so,” Hawkmon said.

“Well, you’re right. I’ll try to do better,” Takeru agreed. “I’ll find Patamon while taking care of Catamon. I can do both.”

**

“Why are you doing this Hikari?” Gatomon asked.

Biyomon’s head rested on Hikari’s legs. Hikari stroked the pink feathers. Her eyebrows pinched at her forehead as she regarded Biyomon’s exhausted state.

“It’s obviously making you miserable,” Gatomon pointed out.

“Ken is a powerful enemy,” Hikari said. “In order for the new digidestined to grow strong enough to challenge him, they have to unlock the power to digivolve. We only have one more to go.”


End file.
